Stanford’s Department of Neurosurgery http://med.stanford.edu recently established a new Anatomy Lab as a prototype lab. The lab equipped with new technology worth more than $1.5 million, is presently in a temporary location situated next to their Virtual Reality (VR) Center.
The new technology in the lab and being able to work with VR enables neurosurgery trainees and surgeons to study anatomy and practice dissections.
VR makes it possible for residents to practice for specific cases. The current Anatomy Lab serves as a bridge between the simulation center and operating room. By immersing themselves in 3D views of their patients’ anatomy, the surgical trainees and surgeons can more effectively plan surgical procedures. The trainees and surgeons practice the procedure using images of the actual patient, which allows the surgeons to map out the exact path they will take during surgery.
The operating system, called OCULUS, is able to transform two dimensional patient data sets such as angiograms, MRIs, and CT scans into 3D environments. The system creates 3D images of a patient’s anatomy and fuses two dimensional images from MRI and CT scans using advanced computer programs.
However, the OCULUS system although a powerful visualization tool can’t offer residents hands-on-training. To meet the need for hands-on-training, Stanford is scheduled to open a new anatomy lab so that residents will be able to test their surgical knowledge in the physical world.
The future state-of-the-art Anatomy Lab will house additional equipment that will include space for three additional stations to enable six dissections to take place at one time. Tables will be built into the walls and the room will be shielded for x-rays. LCD screens will be provided when endoscopic procedures take place so surgeons will be able to use instruments to look inside the body.
Today, patients in the clinic are able to visualize their conditions in a new totally customized way by using a mobile unit complete with a VR headset that can be rolled into an exam or hospital room. Being able to visualize the problem in 3D can help reassure patients and is especially helpful for young patients or patients who don’t understand English well.
Go to https://med.stanford.edu/neurosurgery/educationvr-lab-html for more information on Stanford’s Neurosurgical simulation and virtual Reality Center.